Curtain-support for vehicle canopy-tops.



E. A. NELSON.

CURTAIN SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE CANOPY TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 1912.

1 ,1 60,947, Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

mill! E. A. NELSON.

CURTAIN SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE CANOPY TOPS.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 17. 1912.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

In" I" COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON. u. c.

To all whom'z't may Concern." a 1 I lie it known that I, EMIL A. NnLsoN, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Supports for Vehicle Canopy-Tops, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I v The inventionrelates to vehicle canopy tops of that type in whicha support for the curtains is formed by a cable, arranged'inside and adjacent to the lower edge of the canopy. A defect of"such construction is that after use for some time the cablewill stretch and permit the curtains to sag. This I have overcome by a constru'ctionof tensioning means for the cable as hereinafter set forth. i i I i In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a vehicle'canopy top, to which my improvement is applied. a side elevation of the tensioning device. Fig. 3 is a crosssection thereof on line xm Fig. 2. canopy showing a modified construction.

A is av canopy top of usual well-known construction; B and B are the supporting bows therefor; and C is the diagonal brace extending from one of the bows to the end of the top.

D is a cable extending along the inside of the side E of the top, one end of said cable being anchored at F.

To maintain the cable D taut, I provide resilient tensioning means attached to the opposite end of the cable D from the fixed anchor F. This tensioning device is preferably arranged adjacent to the brace member C, and specifically is preferablyiof the following construction: G is a fitting, preferably formed of a sheet metal stamping, and which forms a housing for a spring H. I is a pulley within the housing, around which the cable D passes, the end of said cable being attached to the spring. J, J and J are screws or securing pins for at taching the fitting G to the brace member C, one of said pins forming a journal for the pulley I, and another forming an anchor for the spring H. The end of the cable passes through a closed coil H at the end of the spring, and is knotted at D to prevent withdrawal.

With the construction as described, when (A, an

EMIL'A. NELSON, or nntrnoir, MICHIGAN,

Specification of Letters Patent Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the anemia-screens FOR vnnionn CANOPY-TOPS, I

the fitting is attached to the brace C, it. Wlll forma completehousing for the spring and pulley; The same'const'ruction may be used alternatively on the right or left side of the vehicle, theonlychange required being .ion.

, Patented Nov; 16,1915; M Application filed lacenta-17,1912. Serial No. 737,176. i I

the shifting of the pulley I from one to the other of the pins J J placed under initial tension, will maintain the cable D taut, compensating for any stretching, or contraction and expansion, due

to temperature changes;

The spring I-I, being,

In Fig. i a modified construction isshown,

in which the cable extends continuously on both sides of the canopy, and a single spring 'or'te'nsioning device places an equal tension on both sides. firs shown, two springs, K

and K, are secured to the opposite endsof the 'cable, preferably by contracting the coils of each spring as at K and knotting the 'cable'to engage with this contracted portion.

The opposite ends of the spring are provided with hooks K for coupling to each ra esother. The springs are preferably arranged adjacent to the forward bow and the cables pass around and are guided in bearings L at the corners of said bows and at intermediate points.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle canopy, the combination with a top section and a supporting frame therefor, of a. curtain-supporting cable eX- tending from front to rear of said top section, a resilient slack-taking-up means for the cable connected to said frame, and a housing for said resilient slack-taking-up means.

2. In a vehicle canopy, the combination with a top section and supporting bows therefor, of a cable extending longitudinally of said top, forming a curtain support, and slack-taking-up means for said cable attached to one of said bows and arranged longitudinally on the inside thereof to be concealed thereby.

3. In a vehicle canopy, the combination with a top section and supporting bows therefor, of a cable extending along said top section and forming a curtain support, and a resilient tensioning means applied to one end of said cable, comprising a hollow fitting on one of said bows, a spring housed therein and attached to one end of said cable, and a pulley around which said cable passes.

4:. In a vehicle canopy, the combination with a top supporting bows therefor and a curtain supporting cable extending longitu dinally thereof, of a hollow fitting extending longitudinally of one of's'ai'd bows, -a spring housed therein and attached to one end of said cable, a pulley around which said cable passes, and securing means for said fitting forming a journal for said pulley.

[5. In a vehicle canopy, f'the combination with a top, of a curtain-supportingcable extending longitudinally thereof, a supportingzbow or'bracemember for said top, a [hollow fitt ng ad acent to said brace n emthe cable passes, and securing bolts for said fitting forming aljournal for; said pulley "spring housed within the body portion of ber, a spring housed within said fitting and connected to one endof said cable, a pulley also housed within'said fitting, around which said fitting'attached to the end of said cable,

and a pulleyaround which said cable passes,

housed in theenlarged head of said fitting Copies'of this patent may be obtained f or l Vitnesses: i I

and efi'changeably secured to the right or left of "said cable. V 7; In a "vehicle canopy, the combination with a top, of a supporting bow or brace therefor, a curtain supporting cable eXtendin'g longitudinally of said top, a fitting 211'? ranged adjacent to said bow or brace, com prising a hollow casing, a spring housed within said casing and secured to the end of said cable, a pulley also housed within said casing and exchangeable in position from left to right ofsaid "cable, and securing bolts for, attaching, said fitting to said bow or brace, forming journals for said pulley in each of its positions rand-an anchor ,for said spring; I v I a 1 i n r ,l 8 In a Vehicle canopy, thecombination witha top section, of a cable extending longitudinally of said top, forminga curtain support, means nearthe edge of the top for changing the direction of said-cable, and

means beyondv said direction changing means for maintaining thecable' taut. I I Intest -mony whereof I affiX my signature in presenceof two WltIlQSSGS;

EMIL A. NELsoNQ JAMES P. BARRY, DELBERT COLLINS. 7

fiye cents eacl aby addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. i 

